Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS)
Do you notice what others miss? The HSPS measures sensory-processing sensitivity.
Are you a highly sensitive person? This scale measures sensory-processing sensitivity. 27 items, about 8 minutes.
What Is the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS)?
Roughly 15-20% of people react more strongly than others to noise, bright lights, other people's moods, and subtle environmental details. If that sounds like you, you might be measuring high on sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS).
Aron and Aron (1997) created the HSPS to capture this trait. It covers three facets:
- Ease of Excitation (EOE) — how easily you feel overwhelmed by external demands
- Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES) — how deeply you appreciate art, music, nature, and fine details
- Low Sensory Threshold (LST) — how strongly you react to unpleasant sensory input (loud noises, chaotic environments, scratchy fabrics)
Scoring
27 items on a 7-point scale. Add up your total — higher scores mean higher sensitivity. A common cutoff is 14 or above on the 12-item short version, but the full 27-item version gives a more complete picture.
Reliability & Validity
- Internal consistency: alpha = .87-.89
- Test-retest: .81 at 2 months
- The three-factor structure has been replicated across cultures including Japan, Spain, and the Netherlands
Scoring Guide
Sum scoring. 1-7 per item; 27-189 total. Higher=higher sensory-processing sensitivity. No reverse items. Three subscales: EOE (1,5,6,11,14,16,17,19,20,21,23,24), AES (2,8,10,12,15,22), LST (7,9,13,25,26,27).Result Interpretation
After completing the 27 questions, you'll receive an immediate, detailed report with:
- Your score — calculated automatically based on your responses
- Score interpretation — what your score means in practical terms
- Context — how your results compare to general population norms where available
All results are displayed on screen. No account or login needed.